Multimodal Reading

Modes of reading, or semiotic perspective on reading, what is the distinction? When reading verbal texts, that is, ones printed from left to right, top to bottom, readers employ particular strategies. Of course, selection of these strategies is also dependent upon the genre and the reader's knowledge of the context--including genre, intended audience, background knowledge and experience with the topic of the text, or author of the text, etc.

When "reading" a piece of art, e.g., an oil painting in a museum, the viewer/reader similarly employs strategies, including knowledge of genres of painting, contextual factors, etc. If we can link reading verbal texts and reading visual texts, is it possible to "read" auditory and tactile texts? In other words, the term reading as a metaphor for viewing a painting can similarly be used for listening to music, or what?

If we examine approaches to these different types of reading, we may discover similar strategies--not the same, because "reading" includes contextual factors of "reader," intended audience of the composer, and the particular genre used to mediate ideas. By pointing to strategies that share common threads and then making those available to students, who have diverse backgrounds with selected medium or types of texts, we might better guide students to examine contextual elements of reading events and approaching the "reading" (or viewing or listening) more consciously.

The caution here is not to oversimplify strategies and claim that reading verbal texts is the same as reading a painting. There appear to be similarities but cognitive demands may be different--or the social contexts of the events is different based on cultural expectations and assumptions.